The present invention relates to information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods, recording medium, and programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods, programs, and recording mediums, which are each connected to another information-processing apparatus by a network, used for synthesizing a content common to the apparatus with voices and images of users operating the apparatus and used for reproducing a result of the synthesis synchronously.
The apparatus in related art used in interactions with people at locations remotely separated from each other include the telephone, the so-called TV telephone, and a video conference system. There is also a method whereby personal computers or the like are connected to the Internet and used for chats based on texts and video chats based on images and voices. Such interactions are referred to hereafter as communications.
Such an apparatus in related art uses a telephone number or IP address of another apparatus to be connected to the apparatus in related art to make a request for a start of a remote communication prior to the remote communication. Thus, in spite of the fact that the other apparatus to serve as a communication partner supposed to give a response to the request for a start of a remote communication is capable of recognizing the apparatus making the request, it is difficult to identify the user itself, who operates the apparatus in related art to make the request.
In order to solve the problem, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-195328 discloses a communication system in which, when a user makes a request for a start of a remote communication with another user, an image of the user is transmitted so that the other user supposed to give a response to the request is capable of identifying the user making the request before giving the response. In the following description, the user making a request for a start of a remote communication is referred to as a request-side user whereas the other user supposed to give a response to the request is referred to as a response-side user.